


Tropes in the Tropics

by Allerleirauh



Category: Sapphire and Steel
Genre: Community: trope_bingo, Crack, Fuck Or Die, M/M, Trope Subversion/Inversion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-27
Updated: 2013-03-27
Packaged: 2017-12-06 16:38:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/737829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Allerleirauh/pseuds/Allerleirauh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Silver is studying tropes. Steel is bored. In the end they have much more fun than either of them expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tropes in the Tropics

_Any second now,_ Silver thought _. I can practically see how you’re working on it, sorting through all the possible ways of broaching the subject._

He turned a page of his book, risking a furtive glance over it to see his colleagues’ expression. Steel looked puzzled and annoyed.

_No news there. Well, my friend, what will it be? It’s clear that you’re practically dying to find out what I’m doing, yet you seem to be horribly torn how to ask. I really wonder why that is._ Silver smiled, making sure to hide his reaction behind his books’ cover.

He always liked playing a game every now and then. He wasn’t too picky in choosing his partners, though if he had a choice he would always settle for either Steel or Sapphire.

Both had their individual merits. Sapphire was the suave one. She was almost frighteningly good in understanding Silver’s games. Like him she _liked_ to play, even if she indulged in this side of their personalities less often than he did. But when she chose to do so, there was always a guarantee for fun.

Steel was a far riskier choice to play with. Most of the time he was far too focused, far too straightforward to spare any of his precious time or attention on what he always referred to as ‘Silver’s frivolities’. But whenever Silver managed to draw Steel into one of his games, the results were often surprising and almost always worth the effort, regardless of Steel’s initial misgivings.

Right now, Sapphire was away on an assignment, which left only Steel at his disposal, a Steel that was both bored and irritated. Silver had briefly thought about his options and then he had set out to play.

 

“You are ridiculous,” Steel announced out of the blue.

_Oh, Steel, how much more unsubtle can you be?_ Silver let the book he had been reading drop down into his lap. “Oh? And why do you say that?” he asked.

“If you want to know that book’s content, there are far more effective ways to learn it than by actually _reading_ it.”

“True, but as you surely know from your own experience, it is far more _pleasurable_ to read a book than to simply extract its content. And I’m in no rush at the moment.”

Steel snorted derisively.

Silver had expected that reaction, had actually aimed for it. He looked at Steel, giving him a pleasant smile, and waited.

Steel looked back.

Time passed, quite a long time in fact.

It was Steel, who broke first. “Well?” he said.

“Well what?” Silver asked back. He picked the book up again, if only to frustrate Steel a bit more.

“What is the book about? Steel asked in his most grudging voice.

“Hmm?” Silver replied, turning another page without even looking at Steel. Then he let his head snap up, as if only now realizing the rudeness of his behaviour.

“Oh my, please forgive me. This is rally such a fascinating subject.” He gave Steel another pleasant smile and this one he firmly pushed across the border of imbecility. He watched Steel’s expression darken.

“What is the book about, Silver?” Steel asked again, this time carefully enunciating every single word.

“It’s about tropes,” Silver replied, and now he was nonchalance personified.

Steel’s eyes narrowed. “You’re reading a book about hot climates,” he stated. “And you think it’s fascinating.” He gave Silver a look that clearly showed his suspicion that Silver might have finally lost it.

“What? No, silly, not the tropics. It’s about _tropes_ , about literary clichés or motifs.”

Steel’s expression didn’t change. “I still don’t see why that should be fascinating, not to say relevant to our work,” he stated.

_And isn’t it just so like you, bringing up work the moment you realize that you’re out of your depth,_ Silver thought.

“Why, Steel, we both know how often we have to deal with either concepts or ideas that are so powerful they have somehow managed to develop a life of their own. It’s a matter of images shared by so many they can actually shape reality. So, you see, there is a very obvious connection to our work.”

Silence fell.

Obviously Steel couldn’t find any fault in Silver’s reasoning. The realization did nothing to lighten his expression. Instead his face took on a calculating look. _He thinks he has figured something out._ Silver almost laughed at the thought.

“So, what trope are you studying?” Steel asked. Without giving Silver the time to answer, he continued, “Hmm, let’s see if I can guess. It should be something to your liking or you wouldn’t be so fascinated — fairy tales perhaps, or maybe an allegory about a tin man with a heart of gold? Oh, I beg your pardon,” he exclaimed, “heart of silver, I should have said.”

Now it was Silver’s turn to study Steel through narrowed eyes, taking in the sudden smirk, still hearing the mocking tone of Steel’s last words in his head. _Oh, Steel, you are so much deserving this,_ he thought as he decided on the most fitting way to continue.

“It’s called fuck or die.”

Steel blinked, once, twice.

“What?”

“It’s called fuck or die.” Silver repeated. He suddenly leaned forward, plastering an eager and helpful expression on his face. “It’s a convention that places two beings in a situation where there only exist two possible outcomes to their story: either to fuck or to die.” He smiled at Steel, brilliantly.

“What?” Steel said again. His poor colleague obviously hadn’t left the realm of shell-shock so far.

“It has to do with intercourse.” Silver decided to add for good measure.

A hazy blush slowly crept over Steel’s features. “I _know_ what it means, Silver, thank you very much. I’m simply stunned by the sheer idiocy of such a trope. What possible scenarios could you come up with that would make only these two alternatives seem likely?” Steel asked heatedly.

“Oh, you have _no_ idea.” Silver answered. “When it comes to imagining plots, however ludicrous they might be, there is really no limit to the human imagination it seems, as long as it involves sex that is, obviously.”

Again another long silence ensued.

Silver thought he could practically hear the wheels spinning in Steel’s mind. _Come on,_ he thought. _You can’t be_ that _dense, my friend._

Suddenly Steel cocked his head, as if listening to a tune that only he could hear. “Developing elaborate plots — that certainly rings a bell.”

“Does it?” Silver asked, his voice rising high, while he felt a delicious tingle slowly setting in. It was the thrill of anticipation and just for the feel of _this_ , all his intricate planning was worth it.

Steel suddenly rose from the chair he had been sitting in, and Silver hastily followed his example, letting the book carelessly slide to the ground. Whatever came next, it wasn’t his game anymore. The next move would be Steel’s to make.

He watched as Steel stepped closer, giving him a knowing smile that raised the tingling feeling of anticipation to a whole new level. Yet, instead of closing the distance between them completely, Steel chose to step around him, and that was a surprise.

It turned out to be a delicious one, when Silver felt a hand being placed on his shoulder — a sudden rush of sound and vision and he found himself transported somewhere else.

There were lush greens and heavy aromas. There was almost oppressive heat and humidity. He closed his eyes, breathing in the tropical air, when a tickle at his ear made him gasp.

“Now, Silver. Why don’t you tell me a bit more about this trope of yours?” Steel’s voice was a husky whisper, a warm breath caressing his neck.

He would never admit it, but as much as he liked playing his games with Steel, leading his colleague around and astray, as much did he relish it when Steel finally caught up with him.

Steel might not be the most proficient in playing Silver’s games, but he was certainly one of the best when it came to playing Silver.


End file.
